Baby Steps
by DaddysGirl81
Summary: Hilary Tatibana had many plans for her life. Having a child at fifteen was not one of them.
1. Chapter One

_"I'm pregnant."_

_Tyson's stared at the tearstained face of his girlfriend for a few moments in silence._

_"W-What?"_

_"Please don't make me say it again," she begged in a hoarse whisper._

_He didn't say anything for a few moments, trying to figure out how this could have happened. They'd only slept together once, three weeks ago. He'd worn a condemn, but it had broken. He hadn't though much of it at the time. The thought of her becoming pregnant had never crossed his mind._

_He was jolted from his thoughts by her soft voice._

_"Tyson? Tyson, say something."_

_He wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that he'd be there for her through everything. He wanted to tell her he loved her, he wouldn't leave her._

_"Hilary, I…" _

_What about beyblading? Would he lose his title as World Champion if the press found out he'd gotten Hilary pregnant? The press didn't even know they were dating._

_"Hilary," he whispered, avoiding her eyes, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I…I'm going to need some time to let this sink in. I'm sorry, Hil."_

_He felt terrible as he watched her walk away, head down. He thought about calling out to her, telling her he didn't need time to let it sink in. He already knew what he should do. But then a bus drove by with a picture of the Bladebreakers on its side and Tyson squashed the thought._

_He couldn't give up his dream. He couldn't give up his title. What about all the little kids who looked up to him? He was their role model?_

_But what about Hilary? She'd have to give up on some of her dreams too. She'd probably have to drop out of the singing competition she entered. She couldn't travel all over Europe and Asia with a baby. There's no way they'd let her become a mentor for troubled teens down at the shelter. She was pregnant at fourteen. They'd think she was a hypocrite._

_Not to mention the things people would say about her. They'd probably call her a whore and a slut. Some of her friends might ostracize her After all, what girl wants to be friends with a pregnant fourteen-year-old? It could completely ruin her reputation._

_He sighed. He couldn't let her go through this alone. Even if he did have to give up on blading, which he wasn't even sure he'd have to do in the first place._

_He stepped off his porch and called her name._

_

* * *

_

Tyson was torn from the memory by Hilary calling his name.

He looked at her standing in front of the stove. A pool of water was quickly forming at her feet.

"I think my water just broke," she said in a whispered panic.

He was silent as he tried to remember what he was supposed to do. They'd gone to a class for this a couple of times and she'd forced him to sit through numerous documentaries about labor with her. But he was sixteen, he shouldn't have to worry about things like this. He hadn't planned on having to deal with things like this for at least ten more years.

His thoughts were interrupted again by Hilary crying out. He looked at her and saw her hunched over with her arms wrapped tightly about her largely rounded belly.

He took a couple of steps toward her.

"Hil, are you okay?"

She slowly straightened her back and have him a shaky smile, there were tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah. I just had a little contraction is all." She let out a quivering breath. "I think we should get to the hospital."

He took in her unusually pale face, wide, panic stricken eyes and quivering lips. This whole labor thing would be much worse for her than it would be for him. He'd have to be strong and brave for her. He couldn't allow himself to panic, at least no in front of Hilary.

"Okay," he said slowly. "I'll go-"

"Hey, is breakfast almost done?" Max's voice floated into the kitchen, interrupting Tyson.

A few seconds later Max walked into the kitchen along with Ray and Kai. The three teens froze when they looked at Hilary standing in front of the stove with a puddle of water at her feet.

She smiled embarrassedly.

"Sorry, Maxie. But I don't think I'll be making breakfast today."

There were a few moments of awkward silence before Hilary cried out in pain, hunching forward and wrapping her arms around her stomach.

Kai immediately started doling out orders.

"Max, call the hospital. Ray go get Hilary's bag. Tyson, help Hilary out to the car. I'll start the car."

But before anyone could start on their assigned tasks, Hilary stopped them.

"Can I change first? I really don't like moving around in wet clothes."

After another moment of silence, Kai told Tyson to help Hilary change and then get her down to the car.

Ten minutes later, everyone was in the car and Kai was speeding out of the driveway.

* * *

_Tyson guessed Hilary hadn't heard him because she kept walking._

_"Hilary!" He called again._

_She kept walking, turning the corner._

_He bit back a cure and ran after her, clad only in house slippers and pajama pants._

_

* * *

_

Hilary squeezed Tyson's hand tightly as another contraction wracked her body. She bit her tongue to stop the cry bubbling in her throat, and fought the tears forming in her eyes.

She refused to let herself cry, especially in front of the doctors and nurses who had been ridiculing her for the past thirty-four weeks. They'd given her false smiles whenever she came in for her checkups and berated her that time, early in her pregnancy, when she nearly miscarried because she was so stressed.

Their accusations and cold stares hadn't done much to help the situation. It had only added on to the fact that her parents-really her father-had kicked her out of the house and were refusing to speak to her, the BBA was considering revoking Tyson's title as World Champion, there was a lot of bad press going around about Hilary and Tyson and she'd lost a good portion of her friends when they found out she was pregnant.

She'd been forced to undergo a month of hospitalized bed rest. The only things she'd been allowed to get up for were to use the rest room and take a bath. It had been really hard for her to do those two things though because her doctor demanded she have someone with her when she got up so she wouldn't overwork herself. Which was really stupid because it's impossible to overwork yourself using the restroom or taking a bath.

Her doctor hadn't listened when she told him that.

Hilary's reverie was cut short when as another contraction racked her body and her doctor, Dr. Humphrey, walked through the door.

She clutched Tyson's hand tightly against the pain and almost apologized when she saw him wince. She changed her mind when she remembered it was partially his fault she was pregnant in the first place.

Dr. Humphrey waited for Hilary's contraction to pass before he spoke, plastering a false smile on his face as he slipped his gloves on.

"Hello, Hilary, Tyson. How are we doing?"

Hilary released Tyson's hand for a moment and he took the chance to massage the appendage before Hilary was hit with another contraction and was clutching the appendage as tightly as she could.

"Her contractions are under a minute apart. That's much worse than it was an hour ago. Is it time to deliver the baby yet? We've been here for eighteen hours already."

Dr. Humphrey shrugged as he moved between Hilary's legs.

"It depends on how far dilated she is. She has to be at least ten centimeters to deliver the baby. And I've seen cases where the mother was in labor for 48 hours before the child was born."

Hilary glowered at him as he stuck his fingers between her legs to check her dilation. His attitude was not helping her feel any better.

The doctor removed his hand as the same time Hilary was hit with another contraction.

"Looks like its time to get you ready for delivery. You're dilated ten centimeters and I can already see the top of the baby's head."

* * *

_Hilary tried her hardest not to cry as she walked towards the town. She had enough money to stay at a hotel for a few weeks and she could probably get a job at the diner even though she wasn't sixteen._

_She didn't need her parents, and she certainly didn't need Tyson, especially since he was the reason she was in this situation in the first place._

_She quickly shook the thought away. It was her fault too. He hadn't raped her, he would have stopped if she'd told him to. But she'd wanted him just as much as he'd wanted her. _

_"Hilary! Wait up!"_

_She jumped in surprise when heard Tyson calling her and stopped walking. Why was he coming after her? Hadn't he just said he need time to think?_

_"Hil," he panted from behind her, "thanks for stopping."_

_Hilary just nodded, not bothering to turn around._

_"What do you want?" She'd meant for it to sound harsh, but it had come out soft and sad._

_He was silent for a few moments before he wrapped his arms around her._

_"I don't need time to think. You can come stay at the dojo with me."_

_She swallowed the lump forming in her throat and resisted the urge to jump at the idea of staying with him. She knew how much he might have to give up because of her pregnancy. He could lose his title as World Champion._

_"What makes you think I need a place to stay?" She whispered._

_He snorted._

_"I've known you for nearly ten years, Hil. I've met your father. There's no way he'd let you stay under his roof after getting pregnant."_

_She sighed. He knew her family too well._

_"Fine," she said as she turned in his arms to return the hug. "But you're telling Grandpa and they guys."_

_She could sense the glower on his face even though she had her face buried in his chest._

_"Fine." He hugged her closer to his body. "Fine."_

_

* * *

_

"You're doing great, Hil," Tyson was telling her softly. "Almost done."

Hilary bit her tongue to keep from screaming at him. He'd been telling her she was "almost done" for the past hour. He'd been wrong all those other times, why should she believe him now?

"Okay, Hilary," Dr. Humphrey said, "give me one more big push. One more."

Okay. Maybe he was right this time.

She sucked in a deep breath and gritted her teeth as she prepared for the push.

"One. Two. Three…"

Hilary blocked out the nurses counting, putting all her focus on the last push.

She could feel the tears streaming from her eyes and fought the scream even though she felt like her intestines were being ripped out.

She squeaked Tyson's hand so tightly she heard a loud crack and heard him cry out in shock and pain. Good. She hoped she broke his hand, the jerk. It was his fault she was going through this.

A sudden, piercing cry rang through the air and Hilary fell back on the bed in relief, gasping for breath.

"Congratulations," Humphrey said. "It's a girl."

He held up a squishy faced, wailing creature covered in blood and Hilary allowed the sob that had been forming in her throat all day to finally come out.

"She's beautiful."

The baby was cleaned off and Tyson cut the umbilical chord. It only took a few moments, but it seemed like hours before her daughter was finally placed in her arms.

The wailing died down and Hilary felt the bed shift slightly as Tyson sat down beside her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She ignored it though as she stared at the mop of brown hair, the soft, pink skin, the two tiny little feet, the two tiny little feet, the ten perfect little fingers and the ten perfect little toes.

"She has your eyes," Hilary whispered to Tyson after a few moments.

She was happy about that; she'd always loved Tyson's eyes.

Tyson responded with a slight laugh before saying in a soft whisper, "How can you tell? Her eyes are barely open."  
"I'm here mother. I know everything about her. She has your eyes."

He chuckled.

"Fine. Fine. She has my eyes."

* * *

_Kai was training in the backyard of the dojo when Max called him into the house, saying Tyson had something to tell everyone. It was very important._

_Kai grunted and called Dranzer back to him. He didn't understand why Tyson and the others couldn't come to him. He hated when his training was interrupted._

_He trudged into the house after Max and stopped directly in front of the open door, letting everyone know he was going back outside as soon as Tyson was done._

_He was surprised, however, to see Hilary standing pressed against Tyson's side, her eyes a little puffy and refusing to meet anyone's gaze. He was also surprised to see Grandpa Granger in there as well. _

_"You better have a good reason for interrupting my training, Tyson." _

_The bluenette was silent for a few moments, he looked nervous. He looked down at Hilary and sighed._

_"Hilary's pregnant."_

_Kai shut the door and moved further into the room. Maybe he could put off training for a little while."_

_

* * *

_

Kai, the rest of the Bladebreakers, Grandpa and Mr. Dickenson crowded into the hospital room 19 hours after rushing Hilary to the hospital.

Kai's eyes had been on the clock from the time Tyson and Hilary disappeared into the hospital room until Dr. Humphrey come out and said he and the others could go in to see Hilary, Tyson and the baby.

Kai would never voice it aloud, but he had been terrified. He'd heard of cases where the mother died while giving birth. He wasn't sure what he'd do if that'd happened to Hilary. He didn't even want to think about it.

Kai was the last one into the room. He didn't want to appear as anxious as everyone else.

Tyson and Hilary were sitting on the tiny bed staring at a bundle in Hilary's arms. They both looked tired. Tyson was nursing his left hand and had drooping eyes; Hilary's hair was plastered to her face by sweat, she was panting and she looked as though she was struggling to keep her eyes open. But both of them had a look of awe in their eyes as they stared at the tiny bundle Hilary was cradling.

Tyson looked up for a second when Grandpa called his name, but it didn't take long for his eyes to travel back to the baby.

"Hi, guys," he whispered.

"That's all you're gonna say?" Max asked teasingly. "Hilary just had your baby. Aren't you going to tell us whether it's a girl or a boy? What about a name?"

"Her name's Tyler Elizabeth," Hilary murmured softly. She looked directly at Grandpa. "Do you want to hold her? She's your great-granddaughter."

Kai watched Grandpa shuffle forward and gently lift the baby from Hilary's arms.

"I always wanted a granddaughter. Too much testosterone in the family."

Kai snorted as everyone else laughed.

The calm silence that followed was interrupted by a cry from Tyler.

Hilary's arms immediately shot out to take the baby and Grandpa sat the small child back into her arms.

They all watched as Hilary cooed and rocked her daughter until the baby fell asleep.

* * *

_Ray looked at Tyson and Hilary in shock._

_"What do you mean pregnant?"_

_Max nodded in agreement._

_"Like with a baby?"_

_Hilary smiled wryly and spoke for the first time since entering the dojo, tucked in at Tyson's side. _

_I certainly hope so. I'd hate to be pregnant with kittens."_

_There was a pause before Ray began to sputter._

_"But how? When?"_

_Hilary's face flamed and she looked at the equally red face of Tyson. He answered the question._

_"Well, I'm pretty sure we all know where babies come from. If you don't, then you really need to speak to your parents. It happened about three weeks ago; Grandpa was at the store and you guys went out to see a movie."_

_Grandpa let out a frustrated sigh and interrupted the long silence that followed Tyson's statement._

_"What did your parents say about it when you told them?" He sounded tired._

_Hilary fidgeted uncomfortably before looking down at her feet._

_"Well, I told my mom first, and after she was done crying, she said that everything would be okay. She said she'd support me whatever I decided to do. But when my dad got home and I told him, he just blew up. He said if I was old enough to have a baby, than I was old enough to live on my own. He didn't even let me pack any clothes. He just told me to get out and that he didn't want to see me again. Mom tried talk with him, but he didn't want to listen."_

_Grandpa nodded and covered his eyes for a second before letting out a long sigh. _

_"Someone will go to your house tomorrow to bring some of your things over here." He stepped forward and pulled Hilary from Tyson's side and wrapped her in a hug. When he released her he said, "You know you're always welcome to stay here, it doesn't matter how long."_

_Hilary's eyes welled with tears and she buried her face in his chest._

_"Thanks, Grandpa."_

_Grandpa kissed the top of her head and nodded before pushing her gently away before going to his room and closing the door softly behind him. _

_

* * *

_

As Leroy Granger, affectionately known as Grandpa, looked at Hilary and his grandson look at the tiny child they had created he couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride.

They had both given up so much for this child. Hilary hadn't been in contact with her family for months and her dreams of traveling the world had been put on hold. She had given up her role as class president and had lost a good number of her friends. Tyson, even though he'd been allowed to stay on the team and keep his title as World Champion, his reputation had been ruined. He was no longer the face of the BBA and all of his sponsors had dropped him. His name had been trashed and people who once looked up to him ridiculed him.

Grandpa knew it wasn't easy for either of them, but he was proud that through it al they had stood strong. He knew it would only get worse from here on out, but he had faith that they would be able to pull through this and that they would treat that little girl they way she deserved.

* * *

_After Grandpa left, there was an awkward pause of silence. Ray broke it by clearing his throat. _

_"If you want, I'll go get your stuff. I don't think Tyson should go, you're father will probably murder him and I don't think you should have to go there again until he cools down."_

_Hilary turned toward him and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and managed to smile despite her trembling lips. _

_"Okay. Thanks, Ray." She glanced at the stairs for a second, before looking at the remaining occupants in the room, her eyes settling on Tyson. I'm going to go take a shower and lay down."_

_Tyson nodded._

_"Okay." He pulled her into a hug and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later."_

_When she had gone upstairs and they heard the bathroom door close, they all turned to Tyson. _

_He sunk onto the couch and buried his face in his hands. When he looked up he gave his friends a weak smile._

_"Okay, guys. Let me have it. I know you're all dying to kill me or at the very least beat the crap out of me. I know I deserve it."  
Ray shook his head and let out a sigh. After sharing looks with both Kai and Max he sat on the couch beside Tyson and placed a comforting had on Tyson's shoulder._

_"We're not going to try to kill you or hurt you, Tyson. Yeah, you got Hilary pregnant, which was pretty stupid, and there are going to be a lot of consequences. I'm not exactly sure what they're going to be, but I feel like in the next few months-maybe even the next few years-you'll probably get a lot of grief from people; both you and Hilary. You don't need to get that from us too."_

_

* * *

_

"So, Tyson," Ray started after the nurse came in and took Tyler to the newborn nursery, "what happened to your hand?"

Tyson blinked in surprise at his left hand, as if just realizing that it hurt and began flexing his fingers.

"Hilary was squeezing it really hard. I thought she had broken it earlier, but I think it's just bruised."

Ray just nodded.

"Well, I guess she was in a lot of pain." He paused and looked at the two as they sat on the bed, leaning against each other. Hilary's eyes were already closed and her breathing coming out evenly. "She's beautiful by the way, Tyler."  
Tyson gave a sleepy smile.

"Thanks, man. She is something else, isn't she?"

Mr. Dickenson spoke up then.

"I think we should all head home for a few hours and get some sleep, let these two rest before the nurse brings the baby back in here."

Grandpa nodded.

"I think that's a good idea." He nodded at Tyson. "Get some rest, we'll be back in a few hours."

Tyson just nodded.

"Okay. I guess I'll see you when you get back." He hesitated for a moment. "Let me know if you here anything from Hilary's parents. I left a message on their phone earlier saying she had gone into labor."

Grandpa nodded, frowning.

"If I hear anything, you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks."

* * *

_Max really didn't know how to react to this news. Tyson and Hilary had been dating for a while now, and he had always thought that at some point they would get married and have kids. But he hadn't expected anything like that to happen for at least ten years. _

_Tyson's career as a beyblader was at it's pique and Hilary would want to go to college when the time came. Having a child could ruin both of those things. It wouldd also change the whole dynamic of their relationships; not just with each other but with the whole team and everyone they knew. _

_It was a scary thought. _

_He glanced over at Tyson lying on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. _

_He couldn't even imagine what was running through Tyson's mind. _

_Max let out a little sigh and thought about what Ray had said earlier and smiled. The Chinese blader was right. No matter what happened, they had to support Tyson and Hilary. After all, that's what friends did; they supported each other no matter what they were going through._

_A sudden thought crossed his mind and he straightened his back._

_"How are we going to tell Mr. Dickenson?"_

_

* * *

_

Max crossed his arms and looked at the nursery they had made for the baby. It was a bright yellow with nursery rhymes painted on the walls in white in certain areas. The crib was on the far wall, a couple of inches away from the window. The rocking chair was directly in front of the window, so the person sitting in it had a direct view of the pond in the back yard. On the wall opposite the crib, was the changing table. It was already stocked with diapers, baby powder and baby wipes. The wall closest to the door held a bookcase with toys and story books covering each shelf. Beside the bookcase was the dresser, which was filled with an assortment of different clothes for the baby.

In the closet he knew there was a stroller, an extra car seat and a playpen that needed to be set up.

He couldn't help but smile softly as he looked at the room, remembering when they had surprised Hilary with it. He still couldn't believe they'd been able to decorate and furnish the whole thing without her realizing it. It had taken a lot of work and planning.

He jumped in surprise when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Ray and Kai standing behind him.

"You should get some rest, Max," Ray said.

Kai only nodded in agreement.

"I will," the blonde said. "I was just thinking about how things are going to be different once the baby is actually here."  
Kai snorted.

"Yeah. We won't be getting any sleep for the next few months ."

* * *

_Stanley Dickenson clasped his hands together and rested his chin on his hands and let out a sigh. He did not know how to handle this. _

_"We're going to have to hold a press conference," he said slowly. _

_"We were actually hoping to keep the press out of this for as long as possible," Tyson said calmly. "Having them buzzing around all the time will only complicate things more than they already will be."_

_Mr. Dickenson looked at the two teenagers sitting in front of him. Hilary was sitting in her chair, looking terrified and close to tears. Tyson was clasping her hand tightly and looking calm and confidant. _

_He realized that the boy was probably just trying to be strong for Hilary. _

_"How long are you planning to wait? If the press finds out on their own, they're going to be much worse, and much harsher than if you are open about this."_

_Hilary glanced at Tyson hesitantly before glancing back at the older man. _

_When she spoke, her voice was soft and timid._

_"Um…I was thinking something along the lines of three months. That should be enough time to decide what to do with the baby, such as adoption or keeping it; and by then I'll probably be showing and won't be able to hide it anyway. Besides, I should probably make it through the first trimester before we go around telling world."_

_Mr. Dickenson nodded and let out another heavy sigh. _

_"If that's really what you want. We can set a date now and worry about the rest later."_

_"Thanks, Mr. D," Tyson said softly, squeezing Hilary's hand._

_

* * *

_

Mr. Dickenson ran his hand over his balding head as he looked in through the little window at little Tyler Elizabeth. She was really quite precious.

A soft smile came unbidden to his lips as he watched her sleep.

His thoughts drifted to her parents, sleeping soundly in hospital room. Loud, obnoxious Tyson with his childish ways and strong willed Hilary who was already so mature for her age. They each had a lot of growing up to do if they wanted to raise this child. Thankfully they had good friends willing to help them along the way, and if this child was anything like either one of them, they were definitely going to need the help.


	2. Chapter Two

_It was a well-known fact that Kenny had a crush on Hilary._

_She was beautiful and smart and kind. Sure, she had a bit of temper, but he could look past that—mostly because her temper only came out around Tyson._

_So, when Tyson and Hilary started dating, to say he was a little heartbroken would be an understatement. He was devastated. He even went home and cried a little the first time he saw them kiss. _

_But he never let on about it. He smiled with his friends, and laughingly told Tyson he was happy that if he couldn't have Hilary at least he'd lost her to such a great guy. All the while hoping they would break up and then maybe Hilary would see that he was the one for her._

_After their first break up, he figured it would only be a matter of time before Hilary noticed him. But she didn't. Two days later, she and Tyson were back together. It became a trend. _

_Every other week they would break up, only to get back together a few hours or a few days later. Every time it happened, Kenny was always there to comfort a crying Hilary or a sulking Tyson until they patched things up. Because when push came to shove Kenny just wanted his friends to be happy, even if Hilary wasn't with him._

_But watching them together was really hurting him and he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to handle it. So when he was offered the chance to study bit-beasts in South America for nine months he went without a second thought, hoping that when he got back, either Tyson and Hilary would be broken up for good, or he would be over Hilary completely._

_However, neither was the case. _

_When he returned, not only was he still very much in love with Hilary and Hilary and Tyson still very much together, Hilary was also six months pregnant and living at the dojo._

_He asked them why they both hadn't told him, and Hilary responded that it was something best told in person._

_Kenny tried to be supportive. He really did. _

_But the jealousy he felt over Tyson and Hilary's relationship and the anger he felt at being left out of the loop for so long led to him having a short temper._

_Two weeks after his return to Japan, he got into an argument with Hilary where he said some extremely hurtful things about her and her pregnancy and accidentally caused her to fall into the small pond in the backyard. Hilary dissolved into tears and Tyson and the guys, after helping her out of the pond, kicked him off the team and out of their lives._

_Kenny left willingly and didn't feel any remorse for his words or actions for a month. When his anger finally cooled and he realized what he'd done, his pride—and his fear of Tyson and the others—kept him from apologizing._

* * *

Kenny took a deep breath and released it before knocking on the hospital door. He hadn't spoken to Hilary, Tyson or the other in nearly three months, but when he got the text from Ray six hours earlier saying Hilary had had the baby he knew he had to come see them, mostly Hilary.

"Come in" Hilary's voice came softly from the other side.

He hesitated for a few moments before twisting the knob and pushing the door open. Hilary was sitting cross legged in the bed, her eyes heavy as she looked down at the pink bundle cradled in her arms.

She looked beautiful.

Kenny had to remind himself to breathe. Sure, he had seen her at school and around town since the blowout, but this was the first time he actually looked at her.

And even with eyes heavy from exhaustion, pale skin and out of control hair, Kenny couldn't take his eyes off her.

She tore her eyes away from the baby in her arms, a welcoming smile ready. When her eyes landed on Kenny they widened in surprise and the smile fell from her lips.

"Kenny," she whispered. "What are you doing here?"

He gave a weak smile.

"Ray sent me a text saying you had the baby."

She arched an eyebrow and pulled the baby closer to her, almost protectively.

"So?"

He shrugged sheepishly.

"So, I decided to come see how you are...it took me six hours to decide that actually."

When all she did was continue to stare at him, he sighed and ran a hand nervously through his hair.

"Look, Hilary. I know it's my fault that we stopped being friends and what I said to you was horrible. But I'm really sorry. That's the main reason I felt like I had to come see you."

When Hilary still didn't speak, Kenny took it as his cue to leave. He guessed it was too late to try to salvage their friendship.

He turned to leave, but just as he was about to close the door behind himself, Hilary spoke: "Her name's Tyler Elizabeth. Would you like to see her?"  
When he turned to look at her in surprise, her face was wary and a little distrustful, but there was also a tiny spark of hope.

That's what makes his face light up with a smile and gives him the courage to step back into the room.

Kenny knows there's no chance of he and Hilary ever getting together no matter how badly he wants that to happen, but maybe, if he plays cards right, they can be friends again.

"Yeah. I'd really like that."

* * *

_Tyson wanted to kill Kenny. _

_Hilary had been crying off and on for the past few hours because of what he said to her. It was totally uncalled for._

_He ran his fingers through Hilary's hair as she laid her head in his lap, eyes filled with tears._

_"Hil, don't cry. You know what he said isn't true. He's just being a jerk."_

_She sniffled._

_"But he's supposed to be one of my best friends. If he's so disgusted by me that he can't even stand to be around me, then what must everyone else think about me?"_

_Tyson didn't know what to say to her, so he just sighed and kissed the top of her head._

_Hilary had been under a lot of ridicule since the news of her pregnancy got out a week and a half before. People were accusing her of tricking him into getting her pregnant or saying she was lying about the paternity of the baby._

_He was getting some grief, but not nearly as much as she was._

_A lot of her friends at school had already turned their backs on her, and the fact that Kenny would turn on her too must be extremely hard on her._

_Tyson would never forgive him for it._

* * *

Tyson walked happily down the halls of the hospital, arms filled with take-out from Hilary's favorite diner, flowers for Hilary and a giant stuffed bear for his daughter.

When he left an hour ago, he was only supposed to be going to the bathroom, but he got hungry so he decided to get something to eat for Hilary and himself other than the disgusting food the hospital was serving them. He'd gotten distracted by the hospital gift shop when he saw a giant pink teddy bear and hadn't been able to stop himself from buying it. The same thing happened when he saw the beautiful bouquet of lilies.

A smile spread across his face as he thought about Hilary and his tiny new daughter. Tomorrow morning both of them would be going back to the dojo with him. He was extremely excited, not to mention a little (a lot) scared, to see how well he and Hilary would handle being parents without the added security of having the nurses at their beck and call.

The smile on his face quickly faded when he walked into Hilary's hospital room and saw Kenny Sanchez cradling his daughter in his arms with Hilary standing beside him with a small, nervous smile on her face.

"What are _you_doing here?" Tyson demanded angrily. "I thought I told you not to come anywhere near Hilary again."

Kenny swallowed and took a tentative step back, barely avoiding knocking into Hilary.

"I-I…Ray sent me a text message…I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

Tyson scowled.

Stupid Ray. What right did he have to go sending out text messages about things that had nothing to do with him? And why would he even _think_to send one to Kenny after everything that had happened?

"Well, as you can see she's perfectly fine. Now give my daughter back to her mother and leave before I lose my temper."

Kenny quickly handed Tyler to Hilary, mumbling something to the new mother before ducking his head and making his way towards the door.

Tyson watched all of this with barely restrained fury, and it was taking everything he had not to drop the items in his arms so he could punch his former friend squarely in the face before throwing him—literally—out of the room.

However, Kenny was only able to take about three steps before Hilary stopped him.

"Wait, Kenny."

He paused and looked over his should at her.

"Yeah?"

Hilary stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a soft sigh.

"Thanks for coming to see me and Tyler. It really means a lot to me." She offered him a soft smile. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Kenny just nodded and started for the door again. Tyson stepped out of his way so the brown-haired teen could shuffle his way out of the room and—if Tyson had any say—out of their lives.

Before he completely left the room though, Kenny paused and looked Tyson in the eyes.

"For what it's worth, I am sorry for what happened."

Tyson scoffed and turned his head away.

"It's not worth much of anything."

"Tyson!" Hilary exclaimed at the same time that Kenny bowed his head and sighed, "I guess I deserved that."

The blue-haired blader ignored his girlfriend.

"There's no guessing about it. You do deserve it. After what you did and said, I will never forgive you. You're apology means nothing to me."

Kenny didn't attempt to say anything more. He merely nodded and left the room.

"You didn't have to be so rude to him, Tyson," Hilary scolded him as he ordered her back into the bed. "He came here to apologize. He feels badly about everything that happened and wants to be friends again."

He put the stuff in his arms down and began getting the food ready.

"We don't need his kind of friendship."

"But, Tyson—"

"He basically called you a whore, said our daughter was worthless and then tried to drown you in the pond behind my house. I am not going to forgive him, Hilary. Not ever. I don't care how many times he apologizes."

Hilary pursed her lips together, but didn't say anything else on the matter. She just sat down carefully on the bed, so as not to jostle Tyler. Tyson could still tell she was upset though.

He sighed.

"Look, Hil. I know what you're thinking, but—"

She interrupted him before he could finish his statement, changing the subject entirely.

"Have you heard anything from my parents?"

He flinched. Mrs. Tatibana had called him back when he was waiting for the food at the diner. She had asked how everything had gone, if Hilary and the baby were okay. She said she'd try to stop by the hospital later, but said she wasn't sure if she'd be able to. I didn't want to get Hilary's hopes up, only to have them crushed if her mother didn't show up.

"Your mom called me to see how you and Tyler were doing. But other than that, nothing else."

Her face fell and she plucked at the sheet on her bed.

"Oh. Okay."

* * *

_Sometimes, __Hilary __really __hated __being __pregnant. __She __could __rarely __keep __her __food __down, __she __had __embarrassing __gas, __she __always __had __to __pee __and __the __baby __seemed __to __think __it __was __fun __to __tap __dance __on __her __spleen __while __she __was __trying __to __sleep. __And __she __didn__'__t __even __like __to __think __about __the __uncontrollable __hormones __and __mood __swings; __just __the __other __day __she__'__d __burst __into __tears __when __Tyson __killed __a __particularly __annoying __fly._

_Other times, she loved being pregnant. It was amazing to feel the new life moving within her, or to hear her baby's heartbeat. She had placed every ultrasound she'd gotten in a picture book, her heart swelling with happiness at each new picture of her baby. Sometimes, when she closed her eyes, she could imagine what it would actually be like to hold her child in her arms for the first time, to actually see its face. She just knew it would be perfect. _

_Hilary wished she had her mother to share these experiences, these feelings, these thoughts with. She wished she could complain to her about everything he hated about pregnancy and marvel at everything she loved about it and was excited for in the future. _

_Sure, she had Tyson and the guys, Grandpa and even Mr. Dickenson, but it wasn't the same. They could listen to her and try to sympathize with her, but they didn't really understand. They had never and never would actually go through a pregnancy. They would never fully understand everything she felt. Not even Tyson. _

_That's why she had decided to skip her third period class (it was a free period, she usually just went to get something to eat anyway) and go to her parents' house while her father was at work. After Ray and Kai had picked up her things, her father had said she was never to step foot in the house again, that he wanted nothing to do with her or her child. She hadn't spoken to her mother in nearly six months, since she'd been kicked out of the house, and she really wanted some of her wisdom. _

_She toyed with the key in her hand for a moment before lifting her fist to knock. This wasn't her home anymore. It only took a few minutes for the door to open, and Hilary to come face to face with her mother._

_Neither spoke for a few moments, each just taking the other in. Hilary had always thought looking at her mother was like looking into a mirror that projected her twenty years into the future._

_They had the same chestnut brown hair and wide ruby-red eyes, the same small, pert nose and full lips. They shared the same cheekbones and slight stature. _

_Hilary was like a carbon copy of her mother, the only thing she had inherited from her father was a quick and fierce temper. _

"_Hilary," Dawn Tatibana breathed. "What are you doing here?"_

_The fifteen-year-old attempted a smile, she failed._

"_Since when do I need an excuse to see my own mother?"_

_Dawn returned the feigned smile._

"_Around the same time you started knocking on the door instead of using your key."_

_There was a pause._

"_I thought Daddy would have changed the locks."_

_The older woman didn't say anything to that; she just stared at her daughter, taking in her rounded belly and longer hair. She smoothed a strand of hair behind the girl's ear before smiling softly._

"_Why don't you come inside? I know you must be tired." After they had both been settled in the living room with a cup of hot tea, Dawn repeated her earlier question. "What are you doing here, Hilary? You know your father is going to be extremely upset if he finds out you're here."_

_Hilary watched the steam curl up from the brown liquid in her mug before taking a sip._

_"My birthday's today and I completely forgot about it. The only reason I remembered was because when I went downstairs to make breakfast before school, the guys had already made it and there was a huge banner hanging from the doorway wishing me a happy birthday." She smiled softly. "My birthday candles were sitting in a stack of pancakes, all lit and just waiting for me to blow them out. And the only thing Icould think to wish for was that I could see you ." _

_Tears welled in her eyes and began streaming down her cheeks. _

_"I really miss you, Mommy. And I'm scared and I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing. I don't know the first thing about babies and neither does Tyson. And I keep thinking about how in three months I'm going to be a mother and there's going to be this little person who's depending on me for _everything _and __what __if __I __mess __up? __And__—"_

_Dawn stopped her from continuing by getting up from her seat and enveloping her daughter in her arms._

"_Look sweetie," she whispered, "I know this is hard and scary. I know I can't be with you the way I need and want to be because of the situation with your father, but I want you to know that I love you, more than anything. And I'm working on Daddy. He loves you too; he's just really hurt and disappointed. You're his little girl and he had so many hopes and dreams for you, and this just wasn't one of them. You just have to give him some time to figure out his feelings and come to terms with everything."_

_She paused for a moment to place a kiss on top of Hilary's head. _

"_You don't need to be afraid about messing up, Hilary. You're going to make an amazing mother, I always knew you would. And Tyson will make a wonderful father. I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it's going to get easier, because it won't. It is going to get so much harder and sometimes you're going to feel like giving up, but that's just how life is. But I can promise you that you will not regret this decision for anything. You'll see that, once you hold that baby in your arms. No matter what he or she does—to make you happy or break your heart—you will always, always love this child, and that is all you can really do."_

_Dawn wasn't sure how long they sat in that silence, with Dawn stroking Hilary's hair as the fifteen-year-old's tears soaked her shirt, but it was interrupted when the front door opened at shut and Felix Tatibana's voice came from the doorway._

"_Dawn, I decided to come home for my lunch break. I brought food from that diner you like so much."_

_Hilary pulled quickly away from her mother, eyes wide with fear as the darted around the room in search of some sort of escape. _

_Dawn placed her hand on her daughter's new in an attempt to calm her, and stood up from the couch._

"_We're in the living room, dear."_

_His footsteps, which had been headed for the kitchen, changed direction towards the room they were in. _

"_We? Who else is—"His question died on his lips when he saw his daughter, who had obviously been crying if the puffy, red eyes were any indication, sitting on the couch. _

_Felix Tatibana was a big man. He stood at 6'3" at 270lbs, all muscle. His eyes were an extremely dark brown, almost to the point of being black. His black hair was cropped short and his facial hair gave him a sort of rugged look. _

_He could inflict fear in men with just the arch of his eyebrow, so it was no wonder that his daughter was all but trembling as she stared at him from her position on the couch._

_She swallowed._

"_Hello, Daddy."_

_Felix took in his daughter from head to foot, his eyes pausing momentarily when they landed on her baby bump. She was beautiful. He fought back the urge to pull her into his arms and demand that she move back home where she belonged. His pride wouldn't allow it._

"_Hilary," his voice was flat, "what are you doing here? You're supposed to be at school."_

_Hilary swallowed and stood up, a look of disappointment flitting across her face._

"_I just wanted to see how you guys were doing over here so I came over during my free period. I was just about to head back to school." She paused and smile softly at her mother. "It was nice speaking to you, Mom. Thanks."_

_Dawn only nodded and felt her chest clench as her daughter walked passed her to go to the door. _

_When she reached her father's side, she looked up at him and offered a weak smile._

"_For what it's worth, Daddy, I really am sorry…I love you."_

_He didn't say anything, didn't even look at her, until she was almost out the front door._

"_Hilary."_

_She turned to look at him, eyes wide._

"_Yes?"_

_He hesitated, opened his mouth then quickly shut it again and turned away from her. The front door had closed behind her when he finally spoke._

"_I love you too. Happy birthday."_

* * *

Hilary was so excited to be going back to the dojo with Tyson and Tyler. While she was afraid of what it would be like once she and Tyson were left without the security of the hospital staff to help with the baby, she was also happy to be out from the staunch, white walls and the judging eyes of certain nurses and doctors.

So, there was a large smile on her face as she finished packing her bag and she secured Tyler in the car seat, waiting for Tyson and the others to come back so she could finish signing out and be on her way.

She perked up at the knock on her door, expecting it to be one of the nurses with her discharge papers.

Her jaw nearly hit the floor when the door opened to reveal her father, standing there with an armful of flowers and balloons and a small brown teddy bear. The cheerful gifts were offset by the brooding look on his face.

He attempted to smile at her, but it quickly crumbled into a look of discomfort.

"Hilary."

She snapped her mouth closed and offered a weak smile.

"Hello, Daddy. What are you doing here?"

He stepped into the room and sat his gifts down on the bedside table, staring down at her as she sat cross legged in the middle of her bed.

"Well, it's not every day that my only child gives birth to my grandchild. Besides," he frowned, "since when do I need an excuse to come see you?"

Hilary didn't answer.

Felix sighed and opened his mouth to say something, but his attention was drawn to the carrier sitting in front of Hilary when the baby began to move and let out a tiny whimper.

Hilary immediately leaned forward and replaced the pacifier that had fallen out of the infant's mouth.

"Shhh. Don't cry, Tyler," she cooed softly as she rocked the car seat gently. "You're okay."

"You named her Tyler?" Felix asked after the baby had settled down. He swallowed. "After…"

Hilary continued watching her daughter.

"Tyler Elizabeth."

He nodded, swallowing the lump that immediately began to form in his throat. Tyler and Elizabeth were the names of Hilary's two younger siblings that had been killed in an accident three years before.

"She's beautiful."

Hilary looked up him and offered him a soft smile that seemed to brighten her whole face.

"Thank you."


End file.
